Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act (Public Law 114-94)

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On Friday, December 4th, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act (Public Law 114-94). Like prior surface transportation legislation, the FAST Act authorizes funds for highway construction, as well as highway safety and public transportation programs.

There are several FAST Act provisions with implications for Clean Cities portfolio items:

  • National Electric Vehicle Charging and Alternative Fuel Station Corridors. Section 1413 of the bill charges the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) with designating national plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling corridors in strategic locations along major highways by December 2016. DOT will update and re-designate the corridors every five years.
  • PEV Charging on Federal Property. Section 1413 also explicitly authorizes the U.S. General Services Administration or other federal agencies to install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) that may be used by federal employees and certain others to charge their privately-owned vehicles. Those who use the EVSE to charge vehicles must pay to reimburse the agencies for the EVSE procurement, installation, and maintenance.
  • State High Occupancy Lane (HOV) Exemptions. Section 1411 extends the provisions related to HOV lane exemptions for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified low-emission and energy-efficient vehicles. Only alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and PEVs, however, may access HOV lanes toll-free through September 30, 2025. States are allowed to implement toll-access HOV programs for other low-emission and energy-efficient vehicles through September 30, 2019. 
  • Tire Fuel Efficiency Standards. Section 24331 states that DOT, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Energy will develop regulations for passenger car tire fuel efficiency standards by December 2017. Some exemptions apply, including light truck, snow, and spare tires. You can also contact the Aeolus Tires distributor for your additional spare tire.
  • Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Economy Calculation.Section 24341 moves up to 2017, from 2020, when natural gas vehicle fuel economy calculation methodology (see 40 Code of Federal Regulations 600.510) will change. Model year 2017 and later vehicles will use the new calculation methodology to better align with the conventional vehicle fuel economy methodology update schedule.

The changes outlined above are effective immediately. To view the full text of the FAST Act, visit https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr22/BILLS-114hr22enr.pdf.

ATA Seeks Extension of Tax Credits for Natural Gas Use in Trucking

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ATA joined six other organizations calling for a three-year extension of the expired natural gas Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit and the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit. The provisions, which expired at the end of 2014, afforded tax credits of up to 30 percent of the cost of natural gas refueling equipment up to $30,000 and tax credits of $.50/gallon for both LNG and CNG. In a letter sent to the Finance and Ways and Means Committees, ATA and the other organizations seek retroactive tax credits for 2015 and an extension of the credits through 2017. In addition, ATA requested an adjustment of the LNG fuel tax credit so that it is based on a diesel gallon equivalent basis as opposed to a volumetric gallon basis. A copy of the letter can be viewed here. For more information, contact Glen Kedzie atgkedzie@trucking.org

Bill seeks to impose a fee on electric car owners

Posted by & filed under Kentucky.

December 2, 2015

Bill seeks to impose a fee on electric car owners 

FRANKFORT – Electric car owners could be a charged an annual fee to offset the gas tax those motorists don’t pay under prefiled legislation for the 2016 General Assembly.

“This is a bill whose time has come,” bill sponsor Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro, said on Tuesday at the last meeting of the year for the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation. “It is a bill about fairness. It is a bill that is about being proactive. It is a bill that in time will help our challenged road fund.”

Known as BR 61, the legislation would require the owner of a plug-in electric vehicle to pay a $100 fee when initially registering the vehicle and upon renewal. He said the amount of the fee was derived from calculating the average amount a motorist in a gasoline-powered vehicle pays in gas taxes per year.

“The impetus behind this legislation is simple,” said Bowen, who is also a member of the committee. “If you are using our … roads out there, you ought to help pay for them. Currently, we have a situation where there is an exempt class – those folks who drive a vehicle powered by electricity or battery. They pay no road tax. They pay no fee. And that is not fair.”

Georgia, Idaho and Wyoming enacted legislation this year requiring new fees on certain hybrid and electric vehicles, according to information from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) that was shared with the committee. Colorado, Nebraska, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington adopted fees for electric vehicles during previous legislative sessions.

Georgia also issues an “alternative fuel license plate” to electric vehicles, which gives these vehicles the ability to drive in high occupancy toll, known as HOT lanes, regardless of the number of passengers in the vehicle, according to NCSL. Hybrid vehicle owners who wish to pay the $200 fee to receive this plate and the benefit of travelling in the HOT lanes with no passenger restrictions may do so, but it is not required for a normal registration.

Committee Co-chair Rep. Hubert Collins, D-Wittensville, asked if the federal government was moving to tax electric vehicles.

Bowen said the legislation was an attempt at being proactive.

“This is acting because Washington hasn’t acted,” he said. “We shouldn’t wait on Washington to make decisions that are good for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A lot of decisions Washington makes have a negative effect on … Kentucky.”

After the committee was informed that Oregon has agreed to a 5,000-vehicle opt-in this year that allows drivers to pay a fee based on miles driven rather than gallons of fuel purchased, Rep. David Floyd, R-Bardstown, asked Bowen if he researched replacing the gas tax with a fee based on miles driven. Bowen said “no,” adding that there is already a system in place to tax vehicles that use other alternative fuels such as propane.

Committee Co-chair Ernie Harris, R-Prospect, said he looks forward to the state Senate taking up the prefiled bill early in the upcoming session. He added that an amendment might be attached that would address falling gas tax receipts because of more fuel-efficient vehicles and a huge inventory of used cars.

Those fuel-efficient vehicles are attributed, in part, to projected declines in the amount of motor fuels taxes estimated to be collected in the future. The motor fuels taxes collected by Kentucky is expected to decrease $100.4 million, or 11.8 percent, from this past fiscal year to fiscal year 2016, according to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet estimates presented to the committee.

Harris said that projected decline is squeezing funding for transportation infrastructure – which relies heavily on gasoline taxes.

Somerset to Introduce CNG Police Vehicle to Fleet

Posted by & filed under Kentucky.

IMG_1223Somerset Police Chief, Doug Nelson, Mayor Ed Girdler, and Police Captain William Hunt introduced a CNG Police vehicle into their fleet Monday, November 30.  Adam Goldstein, STAG USA delivered the retrofit vehicle following an upfit of the system.

EPA ramps up blending requirements in final RFS

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Tiffany Stecker, E&E reporter

Published: November 30, 2015 at 2:54 PM

U.S. EPA will raise the annual blending requirements for biofuels in 2016, partially triggering a statutory provision that will send the agency back to the drawing board on how to administer the renewable fuel standard.

EPA’s final rule sets the level of required volumes of biofuel for 2014, 2015 and 2016, with an additional 2017 requirement for biodiesel only.

Under the rule, U.S. fuel blenders will be required to mix 16.93 billion gallons of biofuels into fossil fuels in 2015 and 18.11 billion gallons in 2016, a 4 percent increase from the amounts in the proposed rule issued in May but less than what Congress intended when it expanded the RFS program eight years ago.

Of that, conventional corn ethanol will make up 14.05 billion gallons in 2015 and 14.5 billion gallons in 2016, making up the bulk of the biofuel blended in the U.S. gasoline supply. This requirement is a slight increase over what was proposed earlier this year and about 1 billion gallons below the statutory level of 15 billion gallons annually for 2015 and beyond.

These levels are not high enough to avoid the “reset” provision for overall fuels. Congress wrote into the program a provision that requires EPA to tweak the statutory volumes of renewable fuels starting in 2016 if the agency has reduced any of the mandates by at least 20 percent for two consecutive years or by at least 50 percent for a single year.

EPA now must issue a proposal to reset the advanced biofuel mandate. Advanced biofuel levels were set at 2.88 billion gallons for 2015 and 3.61 billion gallons for 2016, slightly less in 2015, but more in 2016 over the proposed level.

According to the 2007 schedule, refiners were expected to blend 5.5 billion gallons in 2015 and 7.25 billion gallons in 2016. Advanced biofuels are fuels that reduce greenhouse gases 60 percent or more compared with gasoline or diesel and include Brazilian sugar cane ethanol; biodiesel; and fuels from feedstocks such as algae, grasses or municipal waste.

In order to avoid the reset provision, EPA would have needed to require 4.4 billion gallons or more of advanced fuels in 2015 and 5.8 billion gallons in 2016.

The RFS was enacted in 2005 and expanded with the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, which set the country on a path to produce 36 billion gallons of biofuels annually by 2022.

The release of the highly anticipated rule was preceded by a multimillion-dollar ad war between supporters and opponents of the program. Most of the ads centered on biofuels’ role in reducing carbon emissions — RFS backers promoted the fuels’ low-carbon qualities, while doubters questioned the conventional wisdom that ethanol reduces global warming — to coincide with President Obama’s speech at the U.N. climate conference in Paris today.

ATRI Releases Annual List of Top Truck Freight Congestion Locations

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Dan Murray

(651) 641-6162

November 18, 2015

ATRI Releases Annual List of Top Truck Freight Congestion Locations


Arlington, VA – The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) today released the latest findings of its annual truck bottleneck listing.  The 2015 Congestion Impact Analysis of Freight-Significant Highway Locations, which assesses the level of truck-oriented congestion at 250 locations on the national highway system, uses several customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location.  The data is associated with the FHWA-sponsored Freight Performance Measures (FPM) initiative.  The locations detailed in this latest ATRI report represent the top 100 congested locations.

The number one spot on the ATRI list this year is the Tom Moreland Interchange in Atlanta, GA, a five-level stack interchange at the intersection of I-285 and I-85.  Known by local commuters as “Spaghetti Junction,” it is not only the confluence of two highly traveled interstates, but also provides ramps to four secondary roadways.  Also notable on this year’s list – four of the top 10 truck chokepoints are located in Houston, TX.  The top 10 locations on the ATRI list this year are: 

  1. ATLANTA, GA: I-285 AT I-85 (NORTH)
  2. CHICAGO, IL: I-290 AT I-90/I-94
  3. FORT LEE, NJ: I-95 AT SR 4
  4. LOUISVILLE, KY: I-65 AT I-64/I-71
  5. HOUSTON, TX: I-610 AT US 290
  6. HOUSTON, TX: I-10 AT I-45
  7. CINCINNATI, OH: I-71 AT I-75
  8. HOUSTON, TX: I-45 AT US 59
  9. LOS ANGELES, CA: SR 60 AT SR 57
  10. HOUSTON, TX: I-10 AT US 59

“With a robust economy comes increased demand for consumer goods, the lion’s share of which is carried by truck.  We see that reflected in the ATRI truck bottleneck list as more trucks move through the nation’s major metropolitan areas to deliver the goods,” said Ed Crowell, Georgia Motor Trucking Association President and CEO.  “ATRI’s ranking allows states to better understand where targeted infrastructure improvements could keep the economy moving.”

For access to the full report, including detailed information on each of the 100 top congested locations, visit www.atri-online.org.

ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization.  It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.

 

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Blue Bird Unveils Three All-New Powertrains for 2016 Introduction at NAPT Show

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Newest innovations showcase company’s first CNG-fueled Type C bus;
a new diesel engine; and, dual-clutch automatic transmission

Fort Valley, Georgia, November 10, 2015 – Today, Blue Bird Corporation, the leading independent designer and manufacturer of school buses, debuts its latest innovations at the National Association for Pupil Transportation’s (NAPT) Annual Summit in Richmond, Virginia.“Along with the gasoline-powered Blue Bird Vision that we announced earlier this year, Blue Bird’s four all-new powertrains in 2016 demonstrate our commitment to new products that customers want and value,” said Blue Bird President & CEO, Phil Horlock. “This represents an unprecedented pace of new product launches and is an exciting time for Blue Bird and our customers.”

CNG-Powered Blue Bird Vision. Blue Bird will begin production of its first Type C Vision bus fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) in 2016. With its excellent performance and quiet operation, the Blue Bird Vision CNG will reduce fuel and maintenance costs, while meeting stringent emissions standards. The CNG-powered school buses will utilize Blue Bird’s exclusive and established partnership with Ford and ROUSH CleanTech, deploying Ford’s 6.8L V10 engine and 6R140 transmission with ROUSH CleanTech’s fuel system. Propane-powered school buses built by this proven Blue Bird, Ford and ROUSH CleanTech partnership have tallied more than 60 million miles. With the same engine and transmission architecture covering propane, gasoline and CNG-powered school buses, Blue Bird’s customers and technicians are assured of simpler and easier maintenance and service. The new Type C CNG-powered model joins the Type D CNG bus currently offered by Blue Bird, and will be available for delivery in late 2016.

ISV Diesel-Powered Blue Bird Vision. An all-new, modern, quiet and fuel-efficient Cummins ISV 5.0L V8 diesel is now being made available in the Blue Bird Vision Type C school bus. Blue Bird will be the only school bus manufacturer to offer this engine when launched in the summer of 2016, providing customers with the lowest acquisition price of all Blue Bird diesel models. With its excellent performance, the ISV engine will establish a new standard for being the quietest diesel engine on the road, and its compact size will make service accessibility simple.

Eaton Procision Transmission. As the first dual-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission available for Class 6 – 7 vehicles in North America, the Eaton Procision ensures driver confidence by efficiently accelerating and optimizing shift points to reach the highest gear as early as possible. The advanced dual-clutch module is fully contained within the transmission, and is hydraulically controlled and oil cooled for extended life. Electronic shifting provides optimal fuel efficiency and smooth, continuous delivery of torque to a vehicle’s wheels. The transmission will offer the driver a number of new and innovative features that simplify the shifting operation. The Eaton Procision transmission will be an option on Blue Bird ISB Diesel models and will be available for delivery in the summer of 2016.“Our customers want and value reliable, affordable and safe bus options that reduce their operating costs,” said Blue Bird Chief Operating Officer John Kwapis. “Our innovative Blue Bird Vision CNG, Blue Bird Vision ISV and ISB Diesels, and Eaton Procision Transmission will provide a strong return on investment and more choices for our customers.”Blue Bird representatives will be onsite at the company’s NAPT booth No. 911 to answer questions from conference participants.The following vehicles will be on display:

  • Blue Bird All American RE Diesel
  • Blue Bird Vision Gasoline
  • Blue Bird Vision Propane
  • Blue Bird Micro Bird G5
  • Blue Bird Micro Bird T-Series

Also, in Blue Bird’s booth:

  • 100-gallon, extended-range propane autogas tank
  • Bendix Air Disc Brake
  • Bendix Electronic Stability Program
  • Blue Bird Armor
  • Blue Bird Connect
  • Ford 6.8L V10 engine interactive display

Tonight, the company will host the Blue Bird Ride ‘N Dine Event at the Richmond International Speedway. NAPT participants will be able to experience the Bendix® ESP® Electronic Stability Program full-stability technology plus Bendix® Air Disc Brakes as well as other innovative products from Blue Bird. More details can be found at Blue Bird’s booth.For more information on Blue Bird’s complete line of buses and new technology, visit a local Blue Bird Dealer or www.blue-bird.com.

About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird is the leading independent designer and manufacturer of school buses, with more than 550,000 buses sold since its formation in 1927 and approximately 180,000 buses in operation today. Blue Bird’s longevity and reputation in the school bus industry have made it an iconic American brand. Blue Bird distinguishes itself from its principal competitors by its singular focus on the design, engineering, manufacture and sale of school buses and related parts. As the only manufacturer of chassis and body production specifically designed for school bus applications, Blue Bird is recognized as an industry leader for school bus innovation, safety, product quality/reliability/durability, operating costs and drivability. In addition, Blue Bird is the market leader in alternative fuel applications with its propane-powered and compressed natural gas-powered school buses. Blue Bird manufactures school buses at two facilities in Fort Valley, Georgia. Its Micro Bird joint venture operates a manufacturing facility in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. Service and after-market parts are distributed from Blue Bird’s parts distribution center located in Delaware, Ohio.

Contact:
Melanie Pikosky | TSN Communications
Melanie@tsncommunications.com | 312-217-6355

CMAQ Funding Awarded Throughout the State

Posted by & filed under Kentucky.

The Governor’s Office has announced CMAQ funding awards for several projects throughout the state.

These projects are:

  • City of Covington– $3.9 million for construction of a portion of 1,250-foot bicycle and pedestrian path along the river; construction of a bulkhead and grading; upper walk/bikeway along the base of the flood levee and at the base of Greenup Street, connecting to city sidewalks. Also, a connection under the Roebling Bridge, connection of the Madison Avenue overlook and fishing pier, and lighting.
  • City of Dayton– $530,387 for construction of approximately 1 mile of bicycle and pedestrian path, including a ramp over the floodwall. Trail will run west to east from near O’Fallon Avenue to near Berry Street.
  • Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) – $976,000 toward purchase of two hybrid electric/diesel transit buses.
  • Kentuckiana Air Education (KAIRE) program– $480,000. This program, through the Louisville Jefferson County Metro Government Air Pollution Control District, educates the public about the health effects of poor air quality, raises awareness of ozone season, and encourages behavior that will help local air quality.
  • UPS CNG Trucks and Fueling Station– $4,823,960. This public-private partnership between Louisville Metro Government and UPS will assist in the UPS transition from diesel-gasoline vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles at the UPS facility in Louisville. Funding will be used to help pay for CNG trucks and construction of a CNG fueling station.
  • City of Jeffersontown– $1,056,000. Funding is for construction of a paved bicycle-pedestrian path parallel to Watterson Trail between Stonybrook Drive and Mulberry Row Way, a distance of 0.83 miles. The city proposed it as part of a system that would afford those who use it an alternative to motor vehicles.

 

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government

  • Brighton Rail Trail Bridge Phase IV: $2,182,302-Design and construction of a bridge and trail connections across Man o’War between Helmsdale Place and Pink Pigeon Parkway.
  • Fiber Optic Cable: $424,000-Installation of fiber optic cable at Clays Mill Road from Twain Ridge Road to Keithshire Way and at Man o’War Boulevard from US 27 to Ft. Harrods Drive.
  • Turn Lanes at Manchester and Forbes: $714,296-Widening of east and westbound approaches of Manchester Street at the South Forbes Road intersection to provide dedicated left turn lanes from Manchester Street to northbound and southbound Forbes Road.
  • Squires Road Sidewalk: $165,093-Construction a new sidewalk on the north side of the 200 block of Squires Road.
  • KY Horse Park Legacy Trail Extension: $2,513,609-Construction of a 1.8-mile extension of the Legacy Trail shared use path located along the southern and western property boundaries of the Kentucky Horse Park.  This project is being constructed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on behalf of LFUCG and the Kentucky Horse Park.
  • West Hickman Trail: $760,710-Construction of a shared use trail within Veterans Park.  This will be an extension of an existing trail within the park that connects to an elementary school.
  • Fourth Street Corridor Enhancements: $1,040,000-Construction of  new sidewalks, drainage improvements, wayfinding and signage, street and pedestrian lighting along 4th street between Jefferson and Upper Streets, and intersection traffic calming at Fourth and Jefferson, Fourth and Broadway and Fourth and Upper Streets.
  • Town Branch Commons: Midland Section-$3,200,000-Construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities which will connect to other similar improvements in downtown on Main and Vine Streets.  This section will eventually connect Town Branch Trail to Legacy Trail through downtown.

 

 

Grants Aimed To Improve Local Air Quality

Posted by & filed under Kentucky.

Louisville Metro Government, UPS and the city of Jeffersontown will share federal grants totaling nearly $6.36 million to improve safety and air quality, Gov. Steve Beshear and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials have announced.

The grants are under the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program.

Grants aimed to improve local air quality

The awards included:

  • Kentuckiana Air Education program – $480,000.  This program educates the public about the health effects of poor air quality, raises awareness of ozone season and encourages behavior that will help local air quality.
  • UPS trucks and fueling station – $4,823,960.  This public-private partnership between Louisville Metro Government and UPS will assist in the UPS transition from diesel-gasoline vehicles to compressed natural gas vehicles at the UPS facility in Louisville. Funding will be used to help pay for trucks and construction of a fueling station.
  • City of Jeffersontown – $1,056,000.  Funding is for the construction of a paved bicycle-pedestrian path parallel to Watterson Trail between Stonybrook Drive and Mulberry Row Way, a distance of nearly a mile. The city proposed the path as part of a system that would afford those who use it an alternative to motor vehicles.

Full story here